Jury hears police testimony in Hoefman trial
By medicinehatnews on March 9, 2021.
The 13-member jury hearing evidence in the Robert Hoefman trial heard police testimony Tuesday morning focused on the chain of custody of exhibits.
Hoefman, 59, is accused of a million-dollar extortion scheme that involved the first-degree murder of 63-year-old James Satre on Oct. 10, 2017. The target of the extortion can’t be identified due to a publication ban.
The court heard the lead officer involved in the Medicine Hat Police Service’s Forensic Identification Unit run down the collection of evidence including, blood, DNA, letters connected to the extortion and foot impressions.
Defence lawyer Ian McKay questioned in detail Sgt. Stacey Fishley’s handling of evidence by challenging his training and, specifically, why a single document wasn’t produced detailing the chain of custody of exhibits.
Fishley said all documentation relating to the handling of evidence was kept in the MHPS record management system and within the notes officers kept but couldn’t explain why a single chain-of-custody report wasn’t made.
Testimony was also heard Tuesday from a witness who was in the city working on a construction job.
He told the court how he often smoked pot near the spot where a million-dollar extortion payoff was to be left around the time of October offence dates.
The trial continues Tuesday afternoon.
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